352 PARTRIDGE. 



COLOR. Adult male. Upper surface, excepting wing~ which are dark-brown witli the outer edgo of primaries baml- 

 ed with yellowish-white, reddiab-brown with tlie feathers edged, spotted, and mottled witli dark-brown and ashy-white. 

 .There is a Imnil of reddish-brown aeros- breast, and the remaining under portions, are white, becoming yellowish on the 

 throat, sides, thinks, and under tail Coverts; banded throughout with brown. The tail is tipped with a-liy and lias a sub- 

 terminal bund of brown, above which is one of ashy. Tibia and tarsus, yellowish-brown. Keck tufts, black, with a blu- 

 ish iridescense. 



Adult female. Quite similar to the male, but with the tail shorter and the general markings los distinct, while the 

 neck tufts are either brown or tipped with it. 



~Youny. Not unlike the female, being quite dull with a general diffusion of color while the feathers are short and are 

 marked lil;e the other plumage. Iris, bill, and feet, brown, in these three stages. 



Nestlinys. Are at first covered with yellowish-red down which is lighter below, having n central line on top of bend, 

 brown and also one behind eye of the same color, while the remainder of body is lined, mottled, and spotted with it. The 

 wings and tail are yellowish, banded with lighter and brown. From this they gradually assume the plumage hist described. 

 Bill, iris, and feet, light brown, in this stage. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is considerable variation in plumage but this species may be readily known by the tuft of truncated feathers on 

 sides of neck, long tail, and colors as described. Nestling-* evidently moult the wing quills two or three times before ac- 

 quiring the full plumage. The tail, however, is retained until autumn. Albinos are not unfrequent in this species. Dis- 

 tributed, as a constant resident, throughout Canala and Eastern United States, south among the mountains of the Caroli- 

 nas. 1 am indebted to the Bangs Brothers and Mr. A. Thorndike for skins of Grouse. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 18-00; stretch, 2300; wing, 6'95; tail, 

 6'45; bill, P 72; tarsus, 1'55. Longest specimen, 19-00; greatest extent of wing, 23-50; longest wing, ~'25; tail, 6 00; bill, 

 80; tarsus, 1'70. Shortest specimen, 17'00; smallest extent of wing, 22'50; shortest wing, 6'75; tail, 5 90; bill, '65; tarsus, 

 1-45. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on the ground. They are not very elaborate structures, being composed of leaves, weeds, or other con- 

 venient material. 



Eyys, from eight to twelve in number, rather oval in form, creamy-white or buff in color, occasionally spotted with a 

 darker buff. Dimensions from 1'OSx T45 to l'20x T65. 



HABITS. 



There are few who live in the sections inhabited by the fine Grouse now under con- 

 sideration, and ever handled a gun, who are not more or less familiar with the ways and 

 doings of the Partridge, as it is called in the North, or Pheasant, in Pennsylvania and 

 southward. Every sportsman knows the exciting whir of their wings as they rise, and 

 the straight forward, onward dash of the birds, for, regardless of such small obstacles as 

 bushes or tree tops, they go crashing through them, then sail smoothly across some neigh- 

 boring swamp, to alight on the next elevation. All this is so familiar to every one who is 

 interested in birds, that I will not enlarge on the general habits of these Grouse but merely 

 give some special facts which I have observed concerning them. 



Early in autumn, the Ruffed Grouse aro to be found in companies of from six to ten, 

 which are usually made up of a single family, and if not scattered by the sportsman, will 

 continue thus to associate through the winter. At first, they may be seen in the chestnut 

 or oak woods, gathering nuts and acorns, or at this season, they will venture into the corn 

 fields, especially if these be in the neighborhood of brushy pastures. If surprised when 

 feeding where not much hunted, they will seldom rise but will only run through the bush- 

 ps, uttering a chuckling note, and will not take wing until hard pushed, when they will 



